Fundación Pasqual Maragall (FPM) participated in the 36th Alzheimer Europe Conference. The meeting, held from 27 to 29 October in Dublin, was organised by Alzheimer Europe and brought together experts, researchers and organisations from different countries working to improve care for people with Alzheimer's and their families, and to share the latest advances in research, treatment and management of the disease. It was so valuable for us to be part of this international gathering, to share knowledge and experiences with other organisations, present our scientific work and contribute to making the participation of Alzheimer's family associations from across Spain possible through our grants.
Over the course of three days, we presented several projects aligned with the work we promote at the Pasqual Maragall Foundation. These included the development of community services for people with dementia, an analysis of the costs associated with Alzheimer's disease, and psychological support programmes for people in the early stages of the disease. We also showcased initiatives to raise awareness about Alzheimer's research, AI-based support tools for caregivers, models of scientific collaboration, and public policy proposals to prepare the healthcare system for innovation in Alzheimer's.
In addition, we organised a session dedicated to Alzheimer's prevention, which was very well received by the congress attendees. This session addressed the role of blood biomarkers in early detection, the development of brain health services, and the construction of clinical pathways to advance early detection of Alzheimer's.
Being present at international forums is key to building bridges and accelerating joint responses to dementia. Beyond all the activities carried out, this congress has been a fundamental opportunity to forge international alliances and share lessons learned with leading organisations such as Alzheimer Scotland, Alzheimer Nederland and the Alzheimer’s Society. At the same time, we wanted to strengthen the cohesion of the national association movement by organising a meeting space with the Spanish delegation and the attending AFAs, convinced that collaboration and networking are essential to translate knowledge into real improvements in the lives of those affected and their families.
With our participation in Dublin, we reinforced our commitment and purpose to achieve a future without Alzheimer's by focusing on international collaboration to address the disease from different perspectives.
During the congress we also accompanied the family associations and social organisations that attended thanks to the 1st Call for applications for grants to participate in and attend international conferences of the Pasqual Maragall Foundation. This initiative aims to facilitate the presence of the associative movement in the main international scientific forums. Aimed at national organisations and associations dedicated to the care and support of people with Alzheimer's and their families, the call for proposals covers registration, participation, accommodation, and living expenses (up to EUR 1,500 per professional and a maximum of two beneficiaries per organisation). Although initially it was expected to fund between 10 and 15 applications, the excellent response resulted in 21 applications with a total of 39 candidates. After being evaluated based on the organization's connection to the field of Alzheimer's, the quality of the proposal, and its potential for impact and knowledge transfer, 14 grants were ultimately awarded to professionals from eight organisations: AFA Las Rozas, AFEDAZ, Fundació Avan, AFADE, AFA Puerto, AFA Reus i Baix Camp, AFAGA and AFA Memories Los Pedroches, of which four also had active participation by presenting communications and posters.
Read our full conference report:
https://fpmaragall.org/en/post/we-presented-our-social-and-scientific-activity-at-the-36th-alzheimer-europe-conference/
